Police Bust Telecom Fraud Syndicate, Arrest Suspects Over N7.7bn Data Scam

The Nigeria Police Force, through its National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), has dismantled a major cyber fraud syndicate responsible for stealing over N7.7 billion from a leading telecommunications company.

The investigation began after the telecom firm reported suspicious and unauthorized activities within its billing and payments infrastructure.

Police discovered that internal staff login credentials had been compromised, allowing the suspects to illegally access the network and generate airtime that was converted into data bundles for sale across the country .

Police Public Relations Officer DSP Unwana Imah disclosed in a statement on Thursday that both internal and external collaborators were involved.

In a second phase of operations conducted in May 2026, operatives carried out coordinated raids in Kano, Katsina, and Zamfara states.

Key suspects arrested include Musa Muhammed Kwandi, Nura Sadauki, Aminu Muhammed, Musa Hassan Mohammed (an IT specialist), Samson Alisigwe, and Yusuf Shehu.

The telecommunications company successfully reversed approximately 2,931.79 terabytes of fraudulently obtained data valued at about N3.8 billion.

Law enforcement recovered over 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, and POS machines during the operations.

Financial investigations and asset tracing led to the recovery of nearly N90 million, two residential houses in Kano State, a mini-plaza, and a Toyota RAV4 vehicle.

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to protecting the nation’s digital infrastructure and combating cybercrime.

The police stated that investigations are ongoing to identify additional accomplices and trace further proceeds, with all suspects facing prosecution upon conclusion of the inquiry.